Ponds

Previous Page (2008 season)

Index:

• • Page 1 – 2007 – Filling in part of the pond, creating the link-pond
  • Page 2 – 2008 – Fitting the liners and adding the pond plants

• Page 3 – 2009 – Planting the marginals and raising the lawn level (this page)
• Page 4 – 2010 – Lining the circular pond
• Page 5 – 2014/2015 – Marginals at back of pond
• Before/After Photo Gallery

June 2009

I planted some marginals along the side of the pond earlier this Spring

Pond Marginals and Rough Turf

The picture also shows how I have shored up the edge of the bed, and the rough turf we took from the new Fountain (part of the Front Hedge Replacement project!)

The level of the lawn, where we filled in the original pond during August 2007, has sunk about 6″ so I decided to raise it. Not really the ideal time, so I waited for a week of rain, then hired a turf cutter, lifted the turf and put down 6″ of topsoil, and replaced the turf. Of course the turf was pretty manky – turf cutters are beasts to use, and “consistency” of turf is not really what you should expect.

Removing the Turf

You may be able to see the pile of soil in the background, that came out of the greenhouse (I replaced the border soil with manure and home made compost) – I used the dumper when we had a mini digger in to lift the final plants from the Front Bed.

All the Turf is now Removed

The turf cutter leaves little strips between each row of turf cut … the pile of soil was then spread over the area, and then the turves relaid.

Replacing the Turf

The turf in the foreground has been replaced, and the fresh soil we put down shows in the middle – covering the bits left by the turf cutter!

All the Original Turf is now Replaced

I have also laid the turf that was lifted from the circle in the front bed (where we are going to put a fountain as part of the Replacement Front Hedge project). I got several barrow loads of soil from there too – excavated to make height for the slabs and sand underlay.

Ready for new turf

I just can’t sit and look at that bare patch of lawn all Summer!

We had planned to reseed it last Autumn … that came and went! … and then decided we would get it nicely prep’d this Summer and sow lawn seed in the Autumn … but I decided to buy some turf and get the thing sorted out. I managed to find some turf near Ely for just over £1 per roll, and drove up to collect it.

I drove out onto the 20 acre field where they were lifting. A most distressing experience – perfectly flat, not a weed to be seen, mown, dark green, good enough for a bowling green. Quite spoiled my day!

The chaps working there apparently had a sweepstake for how many rolls I would get into my Renault Espace!

How Many Turves fit in a Renault Espace?

Well the answer is “All 104 rolls” – but I challenge anyone to get 105 rolls in !!

New Turf Looks Very Green!

So now the turf is laid it looks pretty much like it did on the fens – and therefore nothing like my existing grass, and certainly nothing like the Rough Turf I created with the Turf Cutter. I’m even more depressed now!

Missed a bit with the Sprinkler

Here’s a salutary lesson. I used my oscillating sprinkler to water the turf, and I must have missed a bit, which went grey after a couple of days and then brown. Even more depressed now!

I’m pleased to say the rain of the last week has been a big help, and its all starting to look green again

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